Bid him not fear the separated council:
His honour21 and myself are at the one,
And at the other is my good friend Catesby,
Where nothing can proceed that toucheth23 us
Where of I shall not have intelligence.24
Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance.25
And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple
To trust the mock’ry27 of unquiet slumbers.
To fly28 the boar before the boar pursues,
Were29 to incense the boar to follow us
And make pursuit where he did mean30 no chase.
Go, bicithy master rise and come to me
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he shall see the boar will use33 us kindly.
MESSENGER I’ll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.
Exit
Enter Catesby
CATESBY Many good morrows to my noble lord.
HASTINGS Good morrow, Catesby. You are early stirring.
What news, what news, in this our tott’ring state?
CATESBY It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord,
And I believe will never stand upright
Till Richard wear the garland40 of the realm.
HASTINGS How? Wear the garland? Dost thou mean the crown?
CATESBY Ay, my good lord.
HASTINGS I’ll have this crown43 of mine cut from my shoulders
Before I’ll see the crown so foul44 misplaced.
But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?
CATESBY Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward46
Upon his party for the gain thereof:
And thereupon he sends you this good news,
That this same very day your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.
HASTINGS Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adversaries.
But that I’ll give my voice on Richard’s side
To bar my master’s54 heirs in true descent,
God knows I will not do it, to the death.
CATESBY God keep your lordship in that gracious mind.
HASTINGS But I shall laugh at this a twelvemonth hence,
That they58 which brought me in my master’s hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy,
Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,
I’ll send some packing that yet think not on’t.
CATESBY ’T’is a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
When men are unprepared and look not for it.
HASTINGS O, monstrous64, monstrous! And so falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and so ’twill do
With some men else, that think themselves as safe
As thou and I — who, as thou know’st, are dear
To princely Richard and to Buckingham.
CATESBY The princes both make high account69 of you.—
Aside
For they account70 his head upon the bridge.
HASTINGS I know they do, and I have well deserved it.
Enter Lord Stanley [Earl of Derby]
To Derby
Come on, come on, where is your boar-spear, man?
Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?73
DERBY My lord, good morrow.—Good morrow, Catesby.
You may jest on, but, by the holy rood75,
I do not like these several76 councils, I.
HASTINGS My lord, I hold my life as dear as yours,
And never in my days, I do protest78,
Was it so precious to me as ’tis now.
Think you, but that I know our state secure,
I would be so triumphant81 as I am?
DERBY The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,
Were jocund83 and supposed their states were sure,
And they indeed had no cause to mistrust84:
But yet you see how soon the day o’ercast.
This sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt86:
Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward.
What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent.88
HASTINGS Come, come, have with you.89 Wot you what, my lord?
Today the lords you talk of are beheaded.
LORD DERBY They, for their truth91, might better wear their heads
Than some that have accused them wear their hats.92
But come, my lord, let’s away.
Enter a Pursuivant
HASTINGS Go on before94: I’ll talk with this good fellow.—
Exeunt Derby and Catesby
How now, sirrah?95 How goes the world with thee?
PURSUIVANT The better that your lordship please to ask.
HASTINGS I tell thee, man, ’tis better with me now
Than when thou met’st me last where now we meet:
Then was I going prisoner to the Tower,
By the suggestion100 of the queen’s allies.
But now, I tell thee — keep it to thyself —
This day those enemies are put to death,
And I in better state103 than e’er I was.
PURSUIVANT God hold104 it to your honour’s good content.
HASTINGS Gramercy105, fellow. There, drink that for me.
Throws him his purse
PURSUIVANT I thank your honour.
Exit
Enter a Priest
PRIEST Well met, my lord. I am glad to see your honour.
HASTINGS I thank thee, good Sir108 John, with all my heart.
I am in your debt for your last exercise109:
Whispers in his ear
Come the next Sabbath, and I will content110 you.
PRIEST I’ll wait upon your lordship.
Enter Buckingham
BUCKINGHAM What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest:
Your honour hath no shriving work114 in hand.
HASTINGS Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
The men you talk of came into my mind.
What, go you toward the Tower?
BUCKINGHAM I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there.
I shall return before your lordship thence.119
HASTINGS Nay, like enough, for I stay120 dinner there.
Aside
BUCKINGHAM And supper too, although thou know’st it not.—
Come, will you go?
HASTINGS I’ll wait upon your lordship.
Exeunt
Act 3 Scene 3
running scene 9
Enter Sir Richard Ratcliffe with Halberds, carrying the nobles [Rivers, Grey and Vaughan] to death at Pomfret
RIVERS Sir Richard Ratcliffe, let me tell thee this:
Today shalt thou behold a subject die
For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.
GREY God bless the prince from all the pack of you.
A knot5 you are of damnèd blood-suckers!
VAUGHAN You live that shall cry woe for this hereafter.
RATCLIFFE Dispatch.7 The limit of your lives is out.
RIVERS O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison!
Fatal and ominous to noble peers!
Within the guilty closure10 of thy walls
Richard the Second here was hacked to death.
And, for more slander to thy dismal seat12,
We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.
GREY Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads,
When she exclaimed on Hastings, you and I15,
For standing by when Richard stabbed her son.
RIVERS Then cursed she Richard, then cursed she Buckingham,
Then cursed she Hastings. O, remember, God,
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us:
And for20 my sister and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
Which, as thou know’st, unjustly must be spilt.
RATCLIFFE Make haste: the hour of death is expiate.23
RIVERS Come, Grey, come, Vaughan, let us here embrace.
Farewell, until we meet again in heaven.
Exeunt
Act 3 Scene 4
running scene 10
Enter Buckingham, Derby, Hastings, Bishop of Ely, Norfolk, Ratcliffe, Lovell, with others. [They take their seats] at a table
HASTINGS Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met
Is to determine of2 the coronation.
In God’s name speak: when is the royal day?
BUCKINGHAM Is all things ready for the royal time?
DERBY It is, and wants but nomination.5
BISHOP OF ELY Tomorrow, then, I judge a happy6 day.
BUCKINGHAM Who knows the Lord Protector’s mind herein?
Who is most inward8 with the noble duke?
BISHOP OF ELY Your grace, we think, should soonest know his mind.9
BUCKINGHAM We know each other’s faces: for10 our hearts,
He knows no more of mine, than I of yours,
Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.—
Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.13
HASTINGS I thank his grace, I know he loves me well.
But, for his purpose in the coronation,
I have not sounded16 him, nor he delivered
His gracious pleasure any way therein:
But you, my honourable lords, may name the time,
And in19 the duke’s behalf I’ll give my voice,
Which I presume he’ll take in gentle part.20
Enter [Richard of] Gloucester
BISHOP OF ELY In happy time, here comes the duke himself.
RICHARD My noble lords and cousins22 all, good morrow.
I have been long a sleeper: but I trust
My absence doth neglect24 no great design
Which by my presence might have been concluded.
BUCKINGHAM Had you not come upon your cue, my lord,
William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part27 —
I mean your voice — for crowning of the king.
RICHARD Than my lord Hastings no man might be bolder29:
His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.—
My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,
I saw good strawberries in your garden there:
I do beseech you send for some of them.
BISHOP OF ELY Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.
Exit Bishop
RICHARD Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
They speak
aside
Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business,
And finds the testy gentleman so hot37 aside
That he will lose his head38 ere give consent
His master’s child, as worshipfully39 he terms it,
Shall lose the royalty of England’s throne.
BUCKINGHAM Withdraw yourself a while. I’ll go with you.
Exeunt [Richard and Buckingham]
DERBY We have not yet set down42 this day of triumph.
Tomorrow, in my judgement, is too sudden,
For I myself am not so well provided44
As else I would be, were the day prolonged.45
Enter the Bishop of Ely
BISHOP OF ELY Where is my lord, the Duke of Gloucester?
I have sent for these strawberries.
HASTINGS His grace looks cheerfully and smooth48 this morning:
There’s some conceit49 or other likes him well,
When that he bids good morrow with such spirit.
I think there’s never a man in Christendom
Can lesser hide his love or hate than he,
For by his face straight53 shall you know his heart.
DERBY What of his heart perceive you in his face
By any livelihood55 he showed today?
HASTINGS Marry, that with no man here he is offended:
For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.
Enter Richard and Buckingham
RICHARD I pray you all, tell me what they deserve
That do conspire my death with devilish plots
Of damnèd witchcraft, and that have prevailed
Upon my body with their hellish charms.61
HASTINGS The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,
Makes me most forward in this princely presence
To doom64 th’offenders, whosoe’er they be:
I say, my lord, they have deservèd death.
RICHARD Then be your eyes the witness of their evil.
Points to his arm
Look how I am bewitched: behold, mine arm
Is like a blasted68 sapling, withered up:
And this is69 Edward’s wife, that monstrous witch,
Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore70,
That by their witchcraft thus have markèd me.
HASTINGS If they have done this deed, my noble lord—
RICHARD If? Thou protector of this damnèd strumpet—
Talk’st thou to me of ‘ifs’? Thou art a traitor.
Off with his head! Now, by Saint Paul I swear,
I will not dine until I see the same.76 —
Lovell and Ratcliffe, look that it be done.
The rest that love me, rise and follow me.
Exeunt. Lovell and Ratcliffe with the Lord Hastings remain
HASTINGS Woe, woe for England! Not a whit for me,
For I, too fond80, might have prevented this.
Stanley did dream the boar did rouse our helms;81
And I did scorn it and disdain to fly.
Three times today my foot-cloth horse83 did stumble,
And started84, when he looked upon the Tower,
As85 loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I need the priest that spake to me:
I now repent I told the pursuivant,
As too triumphing88 how mine enemies
Today at Pomfret bloodily were butchered,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.
O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head!
RATCLIFFE Come, come, dispatch. The duke would be at dinner.
Make a short shrift94: he longs to see your head.
HASTINGS O, momentary grace95 of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hope in air of your good97 looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,
Ready with every nod to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.
LOVELL Come, come, dispatch: ’tis bootless to exclaim.101
HASTINGS O bloody Richard! Miserable England!
I prophesy the fearful’st time to thee
That ever wretched age hath looked upon.
Come, lead me to the block: bear him my head.
They smile at me who shortly shall be dead.
Exeunt
[Act 3 Scene 5]
running scene 11
Enter Richard and Buckingham, in rotten armour, marvellous ill-favoured
RICHARD Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy colour1,
Murder2 thy breath in middl
e of a word,
And then again begin, and stop again,
As if thou were distraught and mad with terror?
BUCKINGHAM Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian5,
Speak and look back, and pry6 on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging7 of a straw:
Intending deep suspicion, ghastly8 looks
Are at my service, like enforcèd9 smiles,
And both are ready in their offices10
At any time to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?
RICHARD He is, and see, he brings the mayor along.
Enter the Mayor and Catesby
BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor—
RICHARD Look to the drawbridge there!
BUCKINGHAM Hark, a drum!
RICHARD Catesby, o’erlook17 the walls.
BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent—
RICHARD Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
BUCKINGHAM God and our innocency defend and guard us!
Enter Lovell and Ratcliffe, with Hastings’ head
RICHARD Be patient21, they are friends: Ratcliffe and Lovell.
LOVELL Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.
RICHARD So dear I loved the man that I must weep.
I took him for the plainest25 harmless creature
That oreathed upon the earth a Christian,
Made him my book27, wherein my soul recorded
The history28 of all her secret thoughts.
So smooth29 he daubed his vice with show of virtue
That, his apparent open guilt omitted30 —
I mean, his conversation31 with Shore’s wife —
He lived from all attainder of suspects.32
BUCKINGHAM Well, well, he was the covert’st sheltered33 traitor
That ever lived.
Would you imagine, or almost35 believe,
Were’t not that, by great preservation
We live to tell it, that the subtle37 traitor
This day had plotted, in the council house,
To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester?
MAYOR Had he done so?
RICHARD What? Think you we are Turks41 or infidels?
Or that we would, against the form42 of law,
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